1/2 cup slivered almonds
16 oz shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 leeks, thinly sliced (pale green & white portion only)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 cups baby spinach, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 oz orecchiette pasta
Salt & pepper
Shiitake Orecchiette
If you love mushrooms, this is a dish for you. Shiitakes provide a fantastic punch of flavor that melds beautifully with the sautéed leeks.
In a large saute pan, heat a drizzle of oil (avocado, olive or canola). Toast almonds until just starting to slightly brown. Scrape into a small bowl and toss the nuts with 2 Tbsp of the Parmesan cheese and set aside. In the same pan, add a little more oil and cook shiitakes until they begin to soften then add the leeks. Cook until very soft then add the garlic and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Add the stock and let simmer, meanwhile cook the pasta as directed in heavily salted water.
Drain the pasta (reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid) and add all the cheese into the sauce mixture. Toss the pasta with the sauce until completely coated, adding small splashes of the cooking liquid if needed to thin the sauce. Salt & pepper to taste and top with the toasted almond and cheese mixture. ***You can bulk this dish up by adding roasted pork or chicken that is shredded or cut into bit size pieces. Enjoy!